The Gift
by Seryan Parks
Summary: Brainiac 5 had one last gift to give to the Legion.


Brainiac 5 had one last gift to give to the Legion.

* * *

Querl went home, of course. The people of Colu understood that his mainframe had been hacked, invaded, possessed- a capital crime among Coluans. He found acceptance there, and acceptance was what he needed right now.

He knew the Legion would be difficult without him. He had been de facto medic, dentist, surgeon, and (in the case of Timber Wolf) vet. Dr. Gym'll, though brilliant, simply couldn't do all that a twelfth level intellect could do. Rational thinking was invaluable on the mission field, and Garth would need someone to fix the faulty viewscreen in his quarters. So Querl hatched a plan- one final gift to his beloved Legion, who had given him so much.

He presented his plan to the Council, who to his surprise, thought it was a brilliant idea. To work, his plan would need the Legion's consent. The Council quietly contacted Cosmic Boy, who quietly put it to a vote. And that was that- Colu would have a new representative in the Legion, without triggering any public outcry.

Councilman Gozzl, in particular, was interested in the plan and offered to provide the base- the most important part. Querl's altered organic DNA was unsuitable for forming the base from his own body. Querl was the last of House Dox, but in terms of intellect levels House Gozzl was the next best, boasting 11th level intellects. It was perfect.

They decided early on that it would be female, to be as different from Querl as possible. The base DNA from House Gozzl, combined with a small amount of Querl's own, produced a spectacular result that neither Coluan was expecting. She exhibited at an early stage in the testing the ability to grow tech organically. It was astounding.

Progress went swiftly. Tests indicated that she would be at least an 11th level intellect, if not a 12th. She grew swiftly, (though slower than an actual pregnancy would take) and Querl was pleased with how everything was going.

One night, Querl stayed late in the lab to finish running tests on her. He looked in at the organism in the artificial womb (a womb because she contained so much organic material) and was struck by wonder. Here was something- no, someone who would serve the Legion more ably than he ever could. She would be better, faster, stronger, and best of all (to Querl's mind), as a 60% organic being she was impervious to Brainiac 1 invading her mainframe.

Looking at the product of his mind, Querl was also struck by sadness- an emotion he was slowly getting used to. She meant that he could never go back to the Legion. She was designed to replace him, and he'd been ignoring that for the entire thirteen months he had been working on her. She was his final act as a Legionnaire.

Querl was so lost in his thoughts that he did not know that Councilman Gozzl had joined him until the man put a tentative hand on his shoulder.

"She's your brainchild, Brainiac 5."

"Please, Councilman, I've requested you address me as Querl Dox. The name Brainiac 5 has too many painful memories attached."

"And I have asked you, address me as Vrax, not Councilman. To me it seems that you're letting your pain get in the way of the honor bestowed on you."

"What honor?" Querl scoffed. "Being the living legacy of one of the greatest threats the galaxy has ever known?"

Gozzl shook his head. "No, Querl. The title of Brainiac is bestowed on only those who have made amazing advancements in their chosen field of study. That House Dox has retained the title for a millennium is testament to the greatness within you."

"I'd rather forget all about Brainiac." Querl told him.

"And here is the proof! Right here, in that womb. That girl is going to join the Legion. She will continue your legacy, Querl, not your great-great-grandfather's. A legacy of doing good. And you may never forget all about Brainiac, but you have more than made up for what happened. Which, may I remind you, only occurred because you made a heroic choice to save the city of Kandor. What you have done as a hero far outweighs anything your ancestor did as a villain."

"Would that the rest of the galaxy shared your opinion, Cou- Vrax."

"Colu supports you, Brainiac 5. I support you. The Legion of Super Heroes supports you. Never forget that." Vrax Gozzl gave Querl a final pat on the shoulder and strode out of the lab. "Oh, and Querl?" he called back. "She still needs a name."

"... Kadden," he said softly. It was ancient Yoddean. It meant _redemption_. "Your name is Kadden."


End file.
